Sub-region: Central Strait

Appendix B – 2: Central Strait Sub-Region
Table of Contents
Sub-Region Summary …………………………………………………………….2
Geographic Location …………………………………………………….. 2
Geology and Shoreline Sediment Drift …………………………………. 2
Information Sources …………………………………………………….. 3
Description of Sub-regional Habitat Complexes ………………………. 4
Habitat Changes and Impairment of Ecological Processes …………… 5
Relative Condition of Habitat Complexes ……………………………… 6
Management Recommendations …………………………………………7
Habitat Complex Narratives ……………………………………………………. 9
Pysht River ……………………………………………………………….. 9
Jim Creek ………………………………………………………………… 21
Deep Creek ……………………………………………………………… 22
West and East Twin Rivers …………………………………………….. 25
Murdock Creek ………………………………………………………… 29
Lyre River ………………………………………………………………. 29
Field Creek ……………………………………………………………… 32
Whiskey Creek ………………………………………………………….. 32
Salt Creek ……………………………………………………………….. 34
References ………………………………………………………………………. 40
1
Central Strait Sub-Region
Sub-Region Summary
Geographic Location
The Central Strait sub-region extends from a sediment divergence zone to the west of
Pillar Point to a zone of “no appreciable (sediment) drift” located between Crescent Bay
and Freshwater Bay (WDOE 2002, based on Bubnick 1986)(Figure 1).
Geology and Shoreline Sediment Drift
The geology of the Central Strait sub-region is characterized by old marine sediments and
pockets of glacial deposits, with localized alluvial deposits in the valleys and deltas of all
the rivers and streams (Schasse 2003a and Schasse 2003b). Several sections of the
shoreline have experienced landslides and unstable slopes are shown along much of the
shoreline, particularly between Deep Creek and West Twin River (WDOE, 2001). The
geology from about Murdock Creek to Salt Creek consists mainly of glacial deposits,
marine sedimentary rock, and in Crescent Bay, there are Crescent basalts. More recent
beach deposits occur in some of the pocket beaches, such as between the Twin Rivers and
at Agate and Crescent bays (Schasse 2003b).
Net sediment drift is generally west to east throughout this sub-region from Pillar Point to
Observatory Point, with three extended segments of “no appreciable drift” (WDOE 2002,
based on Bubnick 1986)(Figure 1).
We should mention here that kelp beds form an ecologically important nearshore habitat
structure along much of the Strait, particularly west of the Dungeness Spit. The early T
sheets covering the Strait include symbology for kelp and though generally coarse in
scale and of questionable mapping consistency, they might be useful to someone
interested in knowing broad-scale patterns of kelp presence across the Strait during the
later 1800s and early 1900s. The Nearshore Habitat Program at the Washington
Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) is investigating long-term trends in kelp
distribution on the Strait.
2
Pillar Point
Crescent
Bay
Figure 1. Habitat complexes and net shore sediment drift (WDOE 2002, based on
Bubnick 1986) in the Central Strait sub-region. Legend items DZ = “divergence
zone”, NAD = “no appreciable drift”, UN = “unknown”, LtoR = “left-to-right”, and
RtoL = “right-to-left” (from the perspective of someone in a boat and facing the
land).
Information Sources (see Appendix A for details)
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
1864, 1872, 1877, and 1885 GLO survey notes and General Descriptions
1908 (T2907 and T2857), 1926 (T4182 and Descriptive Report), and 1931
(T4634) T sheets
~ 1915 – 1930s Harry Halls’ account of Pysht (courtesy Mike Haggerty)
1950 USGS maps (Disque and Joyce quadrangles)
1951 air photo (courtesy of Joe Murray, Merrill and Ring Company)
1955 air photos (UW map library)
1977, 1994, 2002 oblique air photos (WDOE on-line series)
1995 WDNR vertical color air photo (courtesy Randy Johnson, WDFW)
2003 WDNR color air photo (geo-referenced in Pysht)
The below narrative for this sub-region often refers to specific figures embedded in the
text that have been imported from the listed information sources. Sometimes the
3
narrative may simply cite one of these sources. In the latter case, the reader may choose
to access the cited information source for first hand information.
Description of Sub-region Habitat Complexes
Historical map information in this sub-region lacks detail mainly because of the relative
coarseness of the early coastal survey maps coupled with the limited size of most of the
stream-delta complexes in this sub-region. Based on historical coastal and land surveys
and modern fish distribution maps, we identified 9 habitat complexes in the Central Strait
sub-region, all stream deltas (Figure 1). Summary information for individual habitat
complexes in the Central Strait sub-region can be found in Appendix A, Table 7.
The Pysht River and Salt Creek complexes are by far the largest estuarine systems in the
Central Strait sub-region (Figure 2 shows the historical scale of complexes in the Central
Strait sub-region). They are the only complexes that support notable tidal marsh and
associated channel habitat, and both estuaries possess spit features. At least half of the
historical tidal marsh in the Pysht estuary has been either altered or converted to an
upland vegetation type, through diking, river channel dredging, ditching, filling, and road
grades. Connectivity between the mainstem river channel and adjacent tidal marsh has
likely been substantially impaired compared to the historical period (~ pre-1860), largely
a result of dredging the lower river channel and diking and bulkheading of sections of the
river banks. The spit that directs the Pysht River mouth to the south has undergone
considerable alteration during the historical record (~1860 – present), at least part of
which is the result of fill for log storage or other human manipulation. Even so, the Pysht
retains the most significant tidal marsh system in the Strait west of the Dungeness River
estuary.
The Salt Creek estuary has also been impaired, but perhaps to a lesser degree than the
Pysht. The main direct impacts to the tidal marsh are two road grades. The Camp
Hayden Road crosses near the creek mouth over a bridge and runs along the historical
spit. Filling of the spit and adjacent salt marsh for a residence and campsites has
occurred immediately north and south of the Camp Hayden Road. A road oriented northsouth through the salt marsh has two tide gates and alters the hydrology and vegetation
along the west part of the historical tidal marsh.
Deep Creek, West and East Twin rivers, and the Lyre River complexes are also important
stream-deltas in the Central Strait sub-region, particularly in their support of salmonids.
However, they are relatively steep stream systems that are exposed to high wave and tidal
action and therefore lack the development of significant tidal marsh features. Deep Creek
in particular appears to be capable of considerable lateral channel movement as well as
deltaic advance and retreat. Much of the seaward advance in deltaic deposits at Deep
Creek might be the result of substantial changes in fine sediment yielded from the
watershed, thought to be logging and road-related. Lateral movement of the lower
channel might now be hindered somewhat by the Highway 112 crossing and a secondary
road and filling that occurs in the east part of its alluvial fan. The lower reach of the Lyre
River is armored and channelized, and the surrounding riparian corridor has been entirely
4
removed or heavily encroached upon. Smaller stream-deltas at Jim and Whiskey creeks
(and also Butler Creek, though we did not designate the latter as a habitat complex) have
been severely impaired by fill, whereas there is no evidence of direct impacts at Field and
Murdock creeks.
Important changes or modifications to shoreline habitat have occurred outside of the
stream-delta complexes. Landsliding activity is thought be accelerated as a result of an
old railroad grade and Highway 112. The highway occurs adjacent to the shoreline for
about one mile east of Deep Creek, and another roadbed extends along the shore for up to
one half-mile just east of Whiskey Creek. A now defunct mining operation and fill for a
dock structure to the west of West Twin River impairs sediment processes and represents
a direct loss of shallow intertidal habitat.
225.00
200.00
175.00
Area (ha)
150.00
125.00
100.00
75.00
50.00
25.00
Pysht R.
Salt cr.
Lyre R.
Deep cr.
East/West
Twin R.
Jim cr.
0.00
Central Strait
Figure 2. Historical scale of habitat complexes in the Central Strait sub-region.
Scale is based on the combined area of tidal flat, salt marsh, lagoon, spit, and tidal
channels as delineated from the early T sheets. Murdock, Field, and Whiskey Creek
complexes are not shown because their historical scales were estimated at near 0 ha.
Habitat Changes and Impairment of Ecological Processes
Changes to habitat complexes during the past 100-150 years often reflect an interaction
between ecological and physical processes and human land use patterns and cumulative
individual activities. Separating the human-related causes of habitat changes from
dynamics resulting from natural processes can be quite difficult in many circumstances.
Direct causes of habitat changes include dredging of the river channel, diking, and fill of
former tidal marsh in the Pysht estuary, roads that affect tidal prism and overall
connectivity in the Salt Creek estuary, and channelization in the lower portion of the Lyre
5
River. Landfilling is apparent at the mouths of Jim and Whiskey creeks. Each of the
nine stream delta complexes in the Central Strait sub-region has probably been affected
to some degree by 100+ years of upstream land use impacts, notably logging and road
construction activities. Floodplain connectivity and degraded riparian conditions has also
been impaired upstream of the estuaries, particularly in the Pysht, with consequences on
sediment and large woody debris to downstream portions of the watershed and the
estuary.
Relative Condition of Habitat Complexes
The relative condition rating was particularly difficult to apply to habitat complexes in
the Western and Central Strait sub-regions, because we lack reliable estimates of the
historical amounts of tidal wetland habitat in these complexes [(Table 1). A description
of the methodology for applying the relative condition rating is provided in the
Methodology section of the main body of the report]. Instead, we weighed more heavily
the factors of overall habitat connectivity and the impairment of fluvial, tidal, and
longshore processes. Still, we did not rate the relative condition in the Murdock Creek
complex because we could not adequately characterize historical changes. Figure 3
displays the habitat complexes and their relative condition for the Central Strait subregion.
Table 1. Relative condition of habitat complexes in the Central Strait sub-region.
Functional
Moderately
Severely Impaired Lost Not Rated
Impaired
Murdock Creek
Pysht River
Field Creek
Deep Creek
Jim Creek
Twin Rivers
Whiskey Creek
Lyre River
Salt Creek
6
Figure 3. Relative condition of habitat complexes in the Central Strait sub-region.
The Central Strait sub-region does not have any spit/marsh complexes.
Management Recommendations
The North Olympic Peninsula Lead Entity (NOPLE) has developed a nearshore
conservation strategy and project list for the Strait and northern Washington coastal
regions to address salmon recovery through the Salmon Recovery Funding Board (SRFB)
(http://noplegroup.org/NOPLE/pages/nearshore.htm). For the Central Strait sub-region
of our study area, the NOPLE strategy drew heavily from the Limiting Factors Analysis
report (Smith 2000) completed for Water Resource Inventory Area (WRIA) 19. In
addition, recovery plans have been drafted for ESA-listed Chinook salmon in the
Dungeness and Elwha rivers (Shared Strategy Development Committee 2005;
http://www.sharedsalmonstrategy.org/plan/). These recovery plans include specific
actions, including habitat protection and restoration, intended to help recover the listed
populations. We encourage the reader to consult these documents. Also, in Appendix A,
Tables 18 - 31 of this report, we provide summary information describing individual
habitat complexes according to several factors potentially used in consideration of habitat
protection and restoration decisions.
Our recommendations focus on the protection and restoration of tidal wetland habitat,
and the connectivity of these habitats, by addressing the protection and recovery of the
7
underlying processes responsible in the formation, maintenance, and natural evolution of
these habitats – namely fluvial, littoral, and tidal processes.
In considering habitat protection associated with spit/marsh complexes, or of stream-delta
complexes that possess longshore depositional features such as spits, the implication is
that not only should the spit and associated tidal wetland habitats receive protection, but
the drift cell processes that contribute sediment to these spits need to be adequately
preserved. Similarly, protection of tidal wetland and other habitats associated with
stream-delta complexes, requires that watershed and fluvial processes, including
floodplain/riparian function, be a priority for protection. The same logic applies to
stream-delta and spit/marsh complexes that we have identified from this analysis as good
candidates for restoration action. For example, it would not be prudent to carry out
restoration of salt marsh habitat through dike removal while simultaneously (or in the
future) allowing for bulkhead construction or other shoreline development to occur updrift that potentially disrupts sediment supply to the spit that is associated with the salt
marsh. Nor would it be sensible to remove fill within an estuary but continue to permit
floodplain development and encroachment on riparian corridors that potentially affects
hydrology and sediment/organic transport processes, ultimately having negative effects
on estuarine habitat formation.
Our management recommendations in the Central Strait sub-region target the reestablishment or improvement of habitat connectivity to existing and historical habitats,
and protection and restoration of physical processes that form and maintain habitat
structure and function to estuaries and along the shoreline.
To recover much of the historical habitat function we believe occurred in the Pysht River
estuary complex, we recommend the removal of artificial fill associated with the spit
feature at the mouth of river, and removal of dikes (often built of dredge spoils), piling,
and other artificial confining features along the lower river corridor. These structures
appear to greatly reduce the connectivity of riverine processes with the adjacent tidal
marsh. In addition, we recommend removing fill in portions of the historical tidal marsh
where dredge spoils were cast many decades ago. This might involve grading these areas
to elevations nearer that of adjacent functional salt marsh nearer the mouth of the Pysht
River. To address the indirect causes of habitat changes that are rooted well upstream of
the estuary, we recommend the re-establishment of natural dynamic floodplain and
riparian processes to allow large wood jams and a complexity of estuarine and lower river
channel habitats to form and function for salmonids over the long term.
In the Salt Creek estuary, we recommend examining options to re-establish hydrologic
connectivity through the road grade that runs north-south through the estuary (see Shaffer
2006). Options should also be assessed for removing fill adjacent to the Camp Hayden
Road that runs along the historical spit and crosses the mouth. We think that broadening
or altering these road grades would increase tidal prism and recover former tidal marsh
habitat that has been reduced since historical times. Upstream causes of habitat changes
to the Salt Creek estuary are difficult to determine, but sediment and large woody debris
regimes that resemble natural levels could be recovered through restoration of floodplain
8
and riparian processes as identified in the recently completed study by McHenry and
McCoy (2004).
In the Deep Creek and Twin Rivers complexes, our recommendations include protection
and restoration of upstream watershed, riparian, and floodplain processes to ensure
adequate future large woody debris recruitment, and recovery of hydrologic and sediment
regimes to the stream channels and estuaries. In the Lyre River estuary, there are a
number of opportunities to improve lower river channel connectivity and riparian
function through removal of bank revetments and re-vegetation with native
riparian/floodplain plants.
Conservation recommendations in other stream-delta complexes across the Central Strait
sub-region include the removal of fill at the mouth of Whiskey and Jim creeks, and
removal of the mining loading dock to the west of West Twin River (see Shaffer et al.
2005).
Habitat Complex Narratives
The following narratives describe in greater detail the changes to individual habitat
complexes in the Central Strait sub-region. The sequence of narratives begins with the
Pysht River stream-delta located just east of Pillar Point and progresses to the east,
finishing with the Salt Creek complex in Crescent Bay (Figure 1).
Habitat Complex: Pysht River
Physical Description
The Pysht River estuary complex includes the lower river channel, associated tidal marsh
and unvegetated flats, and a north-south oriented spit at its mouth, apparently formed
primarily by fluvial sediments (Schasse 2003a). The Pysht is, by far, the largest tidal
marsh system in the Strait outside of the Dungeness River and Bay.
Description of Historical Habitat Changes
The earliest survey records of the Pysht River estuary that provide any detail are from the
1864 and 1877 GLO surveys. Also of use is a brief description by Eldridge Morse (1884
in Nesbit 1885) of settler use of the Pysht River tidal marsh.
In October 1864, surveyors provided this description of the Pysht:
… there is a large amount of good land situated on the Deep and Canal
(Pysht) Rivers. At the mouth of the Canal River there is from 500-700
acres of prairie on which two years since there were two settlers one of
which was killed by Indians, the other one escaped. The Township is now
abandoned by white people (Treadway 1864).
9
The 500-700 acres (200-280 hectares) mentioned at the mouth of the Pysht is not possible
as actually, probably no more than about 250 acres (~100 hectares) of tide “prairie” was
ever available at the mouth (based on our own estimates and supported by Morse [Nesbit
1885]).
By 1877, attempts to cultivate or graze the estuary were evident.
…(The) bottom lands along (the Pysht River) are very rich and the width
of bottom is from 30 to 60 chains. The tide marsh at the mouth of the
river is all cultivated and taken up under pre-sumption (?) laws by settlers,
also a portion of the river bottom. The balance of the Township is … unfit
for cultivation and covered with a fine growth of fir, hemlock, and cedar
timber… At the present time there are 16 settlers in the Township. The
(Pysht) river is sometimes called ‘Canal’ River on account of its banks and
depth of water. The tide sets back up this river as far as the corner
sections of 7, 8, 17, and 18 (approx. river mile 5) (Shoecraft 1877).
The use of the tidal marsh for “cultivation” as described in 1877 is somewhat consistent
with that of Morse (Nesbit 1885) that suggests the entire Pysht tidal marsh was in use for
pasture at the time. Already by 1884 some sections in the Pysht watershed had been
logged extensively and the timber adjacent to the water (river?) had apparently all been
cut (Morse in Nesbit 1885).
The 1864 GLO meander survey notes and plat map describe the mouth of the river at 250
links wide (165 ft.) coming from the west (bold italics added for emphasis) near what is
today the location of the Indian Creek channel and the northern tip of a spit-like feature
(Figure 4) (see discussion below). However, by 1877 the mainstem channel is found in a
similar horseshoe configuration that we see in the 1908 (Figure 4) and 1931 T sheets, and
in more recent photos and maps. Changes in the location of the mainstem channel are
evident at the northwest bend of the horseshoe and particularly near the mouth where the
river channel meandered further north and east apparently against the spit as it was shown
in the 1908 T sheet, occupying a location that is now largely fill. The 1877 survey notes
describe the boundaries of tidal marsh along section lines and adjacent to the mainstem,
and generally agree with the rather vague vegetation symbols shown in the 1908 T sheet,
which did not explicitly display salt marsh symbology as a later 1931 T sheet would
(Figure 5).
10
Figure 4. 1908 T sheet (at top) and 2003 WDNR color air photo (bottom) overlaid
with the main river channel and spit features from the 1908 T sheet (color-coded) to
show changes. Note that the 1908 T sheet did not display any symbology for salt
marsh. Letters A – E in both images indicate the approximate locations of features
described in the 1864 and 1877 GLO survey notes. “F” identifies the present day
location of the Indian Creek channel. The GLO notes from October 1864 include,
A) From the south, “intersect prairie at mouth of Canal River, bears west”, B)
“Canal River, 250 links (165 ft.) wide, 2.5 feet deep, comes from west”. GLO notes
from 1877 include, C) “Right bank Pysht River, enter tide marsh east and west, D)
“Left bank Pysht River, (approx. location of) slough (possibly Reed Creek) 40 links
wide from southwest”, and E) “Left bank Pysht River”.
11
Figure 5. 1931 T sheet (T4634) showing the Pysht estuary. Notice the “trail”
running north-south across the grassland area in the middle of the horseshoe, the
railroad grade and saw mill along the left bank of the river in the middle of the
horseshoe, and the line of piling used to navigate boats into the river mouth. The
relatively complex configuration of the spit contrasts with the spit shown in the 1908
T sheet (see Figure 4 above), and resembles the spit in more recent decades.
The suspected abrupt channel change, from that described in 1864 to that described in
1877 (which resembles the contemporary channel form), is not well supported from other
sources, calling into question the accuracy of the 1864 survey or our interpretation of the
survey. However, the 1864 survey notes appear quite detailed and presumably accurate
in the description of other major features. We consulted additional sources that might
suggest the possibility of past surface water connections between the Pysht River and
Indian Creek channel. The present day tidal channel that drains Indian Creek is curiously
close to the location described as the mouth of the Pysht River in the 1864 GLO notes
and plat map.
Today, Indian Creek and the mainstem Pysht River come within 250 feet of one another
at a sharp bend and no major relief appears between them, although one or two roads
cross between these two channels going back at least as early as the 1908 T sheet (see
letter F shown in the 1908 T sheet in Figure 4 above). A 1951 air photo (courtesy of Joe
Murray, Merrill and Ring) shows an unusually wide Indian Creek channel (60+ ft.) at the
location where the Pysht comes closest to Indian Creek, suggesting that perhaps this part
of Indian Creek is an old oxbow feature of the Pysht River (Figure 6). The channel is
12
still very wide at this location today, though this might be the result in part to a narrow
culvert crossing that tends to backwater the channel (Joe Murray, personal
communication). Not far downstream, Indian Creek quickly tapers to a relatively narrow
tidal channel that gradually broadens again as it captures drainage from secondary tidal
channels and meanders toward the tide flat where it meets the mouth of the Pysht River
opposite the spit. In looking for possible channel scars produced from a 150+ ft. wide
channel in the south section of tidal marsh in the 1951 and more recent air photos, we see
broad scars, but nothing wider than about 60 feet. Joe Murray, a forester with Merrill and
Ring at Pysht for the past 25 years, has no record of there ever being a surface connection
between Indian Creek and the mainstem Pysht River, except for perhaps under flood flow
conditions when the Pysht might send overflow water toward Indian Creek. If the Pysht
River channel did occupy a location near the Indian Creek channel and thus flowed more
directly toward its mouth, the question arises whether this major channel switch would
have been a natural avulsion process, or whether early settlers might have deliberately rerouted the channel for presumably agricultural reasons. There is no mention by either the
1864 or 1877 GLO surveyors of such a deliberate attempt at re-routing the river. A more
thorough field investigation is needed of this site for further evidence of past surface
water connectivity between the Pysht and Indian Creek. LIDAR imagery would
potentially be of value in helping to determine the likelihood of such a connection.
13
Figure 6. 1951 air photo of the Pysht estuary (courtesy of Joe Murray, Merrill and
Ring Company). Notice the extent to which the lower river is devoted to log
booming and the evidence of channel dredging and disposal on the river banks,
particularly the heaps along the left bank. The red markings on this image were not
produced by the authors of this report.
14
Other changes to the Pysht River estuary, either natural or human manipulated, are more
certain in terms of their causes. The mainstem channel downstream of the Merrill and
Ring office (~ RM 2.0) has had a long history of dredging, and log storage and transport
activities. One the earliest attempts to dredge the river was reportedly during the summer
of 1916 when a suction dredge was used to deepen and widen the river to accommodate
the booming of logs. The sediment was piped and spread across part of the salt marsh
that later became grazing land (Hall, undated). Also about 1915-1920, a log dump was
established near the northwest bend in the river (Hall, undated), and vertical piling today
extends along both banks of the river through much of this entire reach (Steve Todd, field
observation). A 1920s era photo of the river mouth shown in Smith (2000), and the 1951
air photo of the estuary reveals how the lower river was modified for log storage and
transport (see Figure 5). The 1931 T sheet indicates a rail grade along the lower left
bank, extending to a sawmill near the inside base of the spit (see Figure 5). By 1951,
much of the right bank from the northwest bend (opposite the log dump) to the mouth had
been effectively diked, using presumably dredge spoils. Log rafts and booms are shown
strewn along this channel reach. The road that runs adjacent to the left bank
(immediately west of the river), probably constructed about 1915 or shortly before, has
since disconnected a substantial wetland feature. Despite the road, juvenile salmon are
able to access this wetland (Mike Haggerty, personal communication). Old wetland (or
oxbow) features are also evident immediately southeast of the northwest channel bend in
the 1951 air photo (Figure 6). These features coincide with the approximate location of
the mainstem river channel according to the 1877 GLO meander survey. This off
channel wetland feature has since been greatly reduced in size and it appears
disconnected from the mainstem by the heaped dredge spoils.
Other modifications are also apparent in the northwest section of tidal marsh. Air photos
in more recent years (1977 – present) and Joe Murray (personal communication) indicate
that this area has had a history of use for pasture. Attempts to drain or otherwise convert
this portion of the marsh to dryer grazing land are evident from ditch lines and unusual
vegetation patterns (Linda Kunze, 1983 unpublished field notes).
The north-south oriented spit in the northeast section of the Pysht estuary has seen major
changes in the past 100 years, some certainly the result of human manipulation. The
causes of other changes, particularly during the past 25 years or so, are not easily
determined (see spit changes evident in 1908, 1931, 1951, 1977, 1995, 2000, 2003 –
Figures 4 – 7, 9).
15
Figure 7. WDNR 1995 air photo of the Pysht estuary (received courtesy of Randy
Johnson, WDFW). In the years since this photo, a secondary spit feature has built
southward and re-curved to the west along the eastern edge of the existing modified
spit (see Figure 4 above showing the 2003 photo).
16
The 1877 GLO plat map and 1908 T sheet show a relatively simple narrow spit compared
with what we see in the 1931 T sheet and 1951 air photo and in more recent photos when
the spit appears considerably broader and more complex than in 1908. Another
interesting observation is that of the east-west location of the spit in the 1877 and 1908
surveys compared with that seen today (Figure 4). In both 1877 and 1908, the narrow
spit appears to the east relative to where we find the eastern edge of the spit in 2003 and
other recent air photos (Figure 4), suggesting the spit has eroded or moved significantly
along its seaward edge during the past 100 years. A remnant “spit” or submerged bar can
be seen in more recent air photos in the approximate location and configuration as the
spit is shown in the 1908 T sheet (see Figures 4 and 7). In his study of net shore-drift in
this portion of the Strait, Bubnick (1986) took the appearance of “relict” dune ridges in
the mid-interior of the spit as likely indicators of a southerly advance of the spit, though
this advance may have been a short-term trend. Recent on-the-ground observations
(Steve Todd, June 30, 2005) of old dune ridges and wetland troughs within the spit
feature (Figure 8) as well as recollections by Joe Murray (Merrill and Ring) who has
lived near the spit for many years suggest fairly rapid changes along the seaward and
southern edges of the spit. A comparison of the 1995 and 2003 air photos indicates a
significant development of backshore vegetation during that 8 year period, and a
comparison of the 1951 and 2003 air photos also suggests that the spit has advanced
seaward over that longer time period and major changes in the configuration of the spit
have occurred since that time. Projections from the spit extend further south in 1951 than
seen in 2003.
Figure 8. Vegetation and drift material on the spit at the mouth of the Pysht River,
indicating the locations of relict berms that indicate a seaward movement of the spit.
Photo taken June 30, 2005 by Steve Todd.
17
Much of the former spit and adjacent wetlands and tide flats have been converted to
upland for log storage since the 1951 photograph, but it is difficult to determine how
much of the changes to the spit are the result of human manipulation compared with
inherent dynamics of this coastal feature. Lagoon-like wetland features, scattered
driftwood, and some upland vegetation patches characterize the spit in 1951, and the spit
configuration in many ways resembles that of the 1931 T sheet. It is possible the spit had
already been altered or filled to some degree (possibly by dredge spoils) by the 1931–
1951 period. Apparently beginning in the late 1960s, the base of the spit on the protected
river side was used as a log dump (Joe Murray, personal communication), and significant
filling of the spit and its wetlands resulted from this activity. This log storage activity is
certainly evident in air photos from 1977 (Figure 9). Subsequent air photos from 1981,
1994, 1995, 2000, 2002, and 2003 show additional signs of changes to the spit, with subspits building and eroding away along the seaward edge and the south end in particular.
Figure 9. 1977 WDOE oblique air photo of the Pysht estuary. Note the fairly recent
roads on the spit feature in the foreground, an area used for log storage at the time.
Note also the secondary spit feature seen growing seaward from the main spit
feature.
18
Another spit-like feature occurs along the southeast margin of the tidal marsh, though the
origin of this feature is somewhat uncertain (see 1908 and 1931 T sheets, and 1951, 2003
air photos). The feature parallels the shoreline suggesting it was formed by south-tonorth alongshore sediment drift and limited in length by the outlet of river flow.
However, there is no evidence or mention of this feature in any of our early map-based
sources (1864, 1877, 1908, and 1931). By 1951, a road and farm buildings were present
and a thin band of young conifers was growing along this feature. This band of trees has
since broadened. It is perhaps a case where a naturally narrow and possibly grassland
spit has become more stable once a road and other structures occupied the site, and this
has encouraged the development of a mature upland plant community over time (Figure
10). Also, it is possible that had the Pysht River channel taken the more direct easterly
course as suggested in the 1864 GLO survey, it would have entered the Strait where this
spit occurs today. The origin and changes to this spit-like feature needs further
investigation.
forested
“spit”
Figure 10. 2002 WDOE oblique air photo showing a portion of the Pysht estuary.
The origin of the spit-like feature (seen as the forested projection in the lower left
side of the photo) is not well understood. Note the tidal portion of the Indian Creek
channel near the center of this photo.
Upstream of the estuary proper, Highway 112 and an old railroad grade (Smith 2000),
particularly within the tidally-influenced river reach, have disconnected major portions of
19
the historical floodplain (Haggerty et al. 2006). Increased sedimentation due to loggingrelated activity and roads, and a loss of large woody debris have probably had indirect
effects on estuarine processes in the Pysht.
It is difficult to determine quantitative changes in the extent of tidal marsh and other
habitat features in the Pysht River estuary because of unsubstantiated evidence from the
GLO notes, the coarseness and lack of detail in the 1908 and 1931 T sheets, and early
attempts to cultivate and possibly modify the hydrology of the tidal marsh. Based on
these early sources and an account by Eldridge Morse (in Nesbit 1885), we estimate that
about 100 hectares of tidal marsh and associated channel habitat existed in the Pysht
estuary in the pre-settlement period (Table 2). Our current habitat delineation indicates
that greater than half of this has been converted to a scrub/shrub or forest upland plant
community as a result of human activities in the past 100-150 years (Figure 11). The
history of channel dredging, bank armoring, large woody debris removal (Smith 2000),
diking, and roads appears to have substantially reduced the connectivity of the estuarine
portion of the Pysht River with its adjacent tidal marsh. Although important
modifications have been made since the earliest surveys, the estuary today retains many
of the characteristics we find in the early historical record and a significant amount of
functional tidal marsh and channel habitat still exists in the Pysht estuary.
Table 2. Summary of habitat changes to the Pysht River estuary complex based on
various historical sources and the 2003 WDNR air photo.
Habitat Type
Area-Length
Change
Historical Today Area-Length Percent
Spit
2100 ft *
1800 ft - 300 ft
- 14 *
Tidal marsh and channels ~100 ha ** 40 ha
- 60 ha
- 60
Tidal flat
105 ha *** na
na
na
Total
205 ha
na
na
na
* Historical spit length is based on 1908 T sheet. A comparison of historical estimates of
spit length with current day estimates of this length is rough, and does not capture the
overall changes in configuration to the spit feature at the mouth of the Pysht River.
** The historical area estimate of the Pysht tidal marsh is based on a coarse examination
of a current day air photo, the 1908 T sheet, and descriptions from the 1864 and 1877
GLO surveys; this estimate is in close agreement with the 1884 description by Eldridge
Morse (Nesbit 1885).
*** Historical tidal flat is estimated from the 1908 T sheet.
na - Current day surface area estimates of tidal flat habitat were not made because we
felt that these estimates would not provide a valid comparison with the historical
estimates of tidal flat that were derived from the T sheets, where the mean lower low
water line (MLLW) was often interpolated from actual surveyed points.
20
Figure 11. 1994 WDOE oblique air photo of a portion of the Pysht estuary. Note the
distinctive change in vegetation pattern in the upper left part of the photo where salt
marsh abruptly becomes a mixture of upper elevation marsh, grassland, and scrub/shrub
vegetation. Much of this area has been used for the disposal of dredged material from the
river (note the forest growing on dredge heaps along the river channel in this and 1951
image), and it has been used for pasture.
Relative Condition
Based on the loss or alteration of at least half of the historical tidal marsh and impairment
of river channel connectivity with the adjacent tidal marsh, we consider the relative
condition of the Pysht estuary “Severely Impaired”.
Habitat Complex: Jim Creek
Physical Description
Detailed historical information pertaining to the Jim Creek estuary is lacking. The 1908
T sheet simply shows a stream entering at a grassland point of land, a small alluvial fan.
No tidal marsh development is evident at the creek mouth.
Description of Historical Habitat Changes
The presence of fill, jetties and dredging near the mouth of Jim Creek currently impacts
the small stream mouth. The creek channel is piped beneath a road and parking lot at the
mouth. It is not certain when the marina and fill were constructed though they were in
21
place in a 1977 air photo. The jetties at the mouth of Jim Creek likely disrupt sediment
transport along this stretch of beach, and some trapping of sediment is evident from air
photos to the east of the jetties where the stream enters the shoreline (Figure 12). The
small watershed has been extensively logged, which is thought to have increased
sediment delivery to the estuary (Smith 2000).
Relative Condition
Based on substantial filling of the historical shoreline around this small creek mouth, we
consider the relative condition “Severely Impaired”
Figure 12. 1994 WDOE oblique photo of the Jim Creek habitat complex. The
stream enters the shoreline just west (to the right) of the marina jetty.
Habitat Complex: Deep Creek
Physical Description
Deep Creek has a small stream-delta that is characterized by a pattern of erosion and
advance, presumably depending on lower channel changes, watershed sediment inputs
and fluvial sediment transport dynamics, and also possibly longshore wave action. The
October 1864 GLO notes and 1908 and 1926 T sheets provide us with very few details to
help us characterize specific habitat features. The October 5, 1864 GLO notes describe
the Deep “River” as 80 links (53 ft.) wide. No sizeable tidal marsh is evident in the
historical record in association with Deep Creek.
22
Description of Historical Habitat Changes
Based on the approximate locations of the channel mouth since the 1800s, the lower
reach of Deep Creek (roughly downstream of Hwy. 112) appears prone to considerable
east-west shifts at its mouth. Dramatic lateral changes are suggested in the location of the
mouth when we look back to 1864, 1908, and 1926 survey and map sources. The 1864
GLO survey suggests the mouth of Deep Creek was about 200 feet west of its presentday location. According to 1908 and 1926 T sheets, which are in very close agreement
spatially, it appears that the channel was approximately 150-200 feet to the east of its
present location in the early 1900s. This suggests that between 1864 and 1908, the
channel may have shifted east some 350-400 feet. A fence was indicated along the left
bank of the channel in the 1908 T sheet, so it is possible the stream had been channelized
at an early date, preventing its movement back toward the west (Figure 13). The
highway 112 crossing would also have fixed the channel somewhat in place and limited
its ability to switch laterally.
Another observation is the apparent retreat and advance of the seaward edge of the delta
on the west and east sides of the mouth. Randy Johnson (WDFW Fisheries Biologist)
examined changes over time at the mouth using air photos from 1957 and 1997, and
concluded that the delta had shown a net seaward growth of about 250 feet immediately
east of the channel over this 40-year period (Smith 2000). However, it appears that
erosion has occurred immediately west of the mouth during this same period.
Interestingly, the seaward extent of the right bank tongue in 1908 and 1926 (from T
sheets) is approximately the location where we find the tongue today, though because of
the large scale of the 1908 and 1926 T sheets such interpretations should be made with
caution. There appears to have been a net retreat of the delta between 1926 and 1955 and
then an advance again since the mid 1950s.
A network of crude roads and paths is evident in the 1955 and in more recent air photos
leading from Highway 112 out to the “tongue” to the immediate east of Deep Creek.
These roads lie within the historical alluvial fan of Deep Creek. Although some upper
elevation salt marsh and transition vegetation fringe the outer edges of both the left and
right banks associated with the stream delta, tidal channel development is lacking. A
substantial logjam has apparently formed in recent years between Hwy. 112 and the
mouth of Deep Creek, possibly initiated by bank erosion undermining and felling large
riparian trees just downstream of Highway 112. The channel and deltaic changes to Deep
Creek need to be examined more closely, perhaps using LIDAR imagery to look for relict
channel features.
23
A
B
Figure 13. 2003 WDNR color air photo overlaid with black lines from 1908 T sheet
indicating the inlet of Deep Creek and low and high tide lines. Arrows and letters
point to the seaward edge of the spit at the mouth of the creek in 2003 (A), and to a
fenced and cleared area along the left bank of the creek in 1908 (B). The overlay
24
suggests a westward shift in the creek mouth of approximately 150 feet since 1908,
though the spatial accuracy of the T sheet may be in question to some degree. The
1926 T sheet (T4182) showed the location of the creek and configuration of the
deltaic fan resembling that seen in the 1908 T sheet.
By the 1920s, logging was the main industry in this area, though “numerous small farms
(were) springing up” (Cotton 1926) in freshly cleared areas. The coast surveyors in 1926
for this particular T sheet used the symbol of a stump to indicate cut-over land, and the
associated Descriptive Report included the following observation of the uplands along
the stretch between Deep Creek and Crescent Bay: “The greater portion of the hills have
been logged and are covered by a scattering second growth and bush.”
Logging and associated road building activity in the Deep Creek watershed, resulting in
accelerated sediment delivery and transport to the channel, are influencing sediment
characteristics and dynamics in the lower reach and at the delta (see Smith 2000). It is
unknown whether any relationship exists between changes at the mouth of Deep Creek
and sediment supplied by an old landslide (Schasse 2003) located up-drift along the
shoreline to the west.
Relative Condition
Though we do not completely understand the causes of apparent lateral channel changes
and accretion and erosion of the delta, we considered that sedimentation impacts from the
watershed with likely effects in the lower stream reach and estuary coupled with the
effects of roads near the mouth, we rated the Relative Condition of Deep Creek as
“Moderately Impaired”.
Habitat Complex: West and East Twin Rivers
Physical Description
West and East Twin Rivers were combined as one stream-delta complex mainly because
of their close proximity along a small depositional beach, their comparability in
watershed size and physical character, and similar historic land use impacts. Both
streams are steep and neither delta supports tidal marsh.
Drift cell processes are complex along the shoreline adjacent to the West and East Twin
rivers. Though defined as “no appreciable” net shore drift (WDOE 2002, based on
Bubnick 1986) for more than five miles (see Figure 1), there are localized indications of a
net west-to-east sediment transport, at least in the area to the west of West Twin River
(Shaffer et al. 2005). An abundance of variable-sized sediment is supplied to the drift
cell by wind-driven wave action, large coastal landslides, and from the Twin rivers.
As is the case throughout much of the Western and Central Strait sub-regions, historical
map information is relatively poor in detail in the West and East Twin Rivers area. The
25
only details provided in the October 4, 1864 GLO survey notes is that both creeks were
described as 40 links (26 ft.) wide at their mouths (Treadway 1864).
Description of Historical Habitat Changes
Though detail is lacking, the 1908 and 1926 T sheets show very similar channel locations
at the mouth and similar-shaped delta cones. The Descriptive Report (Cotton 1926) that
accompanies the 1926 T sheet described the “Twin River” geographic reference station
just east of the mouth of East Twin River as “eroding slowly” and noted the station
located there previously had been washed away. The Report also stated that the point had
eroded about 4 meters (13 ft.) over the past 34 years (between 1892 and 1926). We are
not aware of an assessment of more recent (since 1926) site-specific changes at this
location.
Habitat changes brought about by direct impacts such as filling or diking are not obvious
in the Twin Rivers stream-deltas. Highway 112 crosses both creeks near their mouths,
particularly at West Twin, but bridge spans likely minimize the confinement of the
stream channels.
The hills in the Twin Rivers watersheds were being logged at the time of the 1926 coast
survey (Cotton 1926). Also, extensive clearing of forest along lower West Twin River is
evident from a 1955 air photo. Recent logging and associated roads are thought to be
resulting in excess sedimentation to both streams (Smith 2000), though how this
sedimentation has affected the stream-deltas is not documented. During low flow
conditions, the mouths of both streams can become confined by sediment to very narrow
channels where they enter the Strait.
Coast surveyors in 1926 described the shoreline between West and East Twin Rivers as a
“good shingle beach” that offered “fair shelter for small boats” (Cotton 1926). An access
road to the beach was evident at least as early as 1955 (air photo), and the Limiting
Factors Analysis conducted for the area (Smith 2000) reported that gravel has been
removed from this accretion beach (Smith 2000), presumably for road construction
material. Most of the native vegetation was removed along the backshore between Hwy.
112 and the shoreline in this area for the road, parking, and picnic areas, though it is
unclear whether any filling of the intertidal zone has resulted from this activity (Figure
14). The impact of this road and associated recreation area on sediment dynamics along
the beach, and impacts to the East Twin River stream mouth are unknown, as we do not
have a detailed record that characterizes this area prior to development.
26
road
access and
recreation
area
Figure 14. 2002 WDOE oblique air photo of the East Twin River mouth and a
private recreational beach to the immediate west.
A massive upland clay pit mine occurs adjacent to the shoreline just west of the West
Twin River in a geologically unstable area (Schasse 2003)(Figure 15). The 1864 GLO
survey mentions “clay slide” along sections in this area (Treadway 1864), and the 1926 T
sheet shows that a slide may also have occurred at this location. In the mid-1960s, a
loading pier was constructed to serve the upland quarry. The pier (or “mole”) resulted in
about 3 acres of intertidal fill, consisting of mainly native upland material mined from the
quarry (Shaffer et al. 2005). The fill material for the pier is contained by steel and
creosote-treated sheet pile, and rip-rap. The pier extends nearly 500 feet seaward from
the shoreline, and it is about 280 feet in width. The mining activity, though no longer
operating, has contributed fine sediments directly to the adjacent shoreline (Smith 2000).
Substantial dredging was required to allow barges to access the pier, creating a 275-foot
swath extending well into sub-tidal habitats, fragmenting eelgrass and kelp beds in this
area. The 1926 T sheet also shows a kelp bed offshore in this area. Though the quarry is
no longer operating and upland vegetation is in recovery, the existing pier and past
dredging activity still directly impact intertidal habitat. In addition, the pier disrupts the
transport of littoral sediments in this area, as evidenced by the trapping of sediment
immediately west of the pier, as well as in the dredged channel adjacent to the pier
(Shaffer et al. 2005). A work group consisting of individuals representing state agencies,
the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, Clallam County, the owner of the quarry, and local
citizens, has convened and drafted a proposal to remove the pier structure with the intent
27
to recover sediment transport processes, and impacted intertidal habitat associated with
the pier (see Shaffer et al. 2005).
West Twin
River
dredging
Figure 15. 1977 WDOE oblique air photo of the upland quarry and intertidal fill
associated with the loading dock located just west of West Twin River. Notice the
evidence of dredging to access the loading dock.
The marine sedimentary rock between East Twin River and Murdock Creek is also
particularly vulnerable to slides. The 1926 T sheet indicates a number of possible
landslides in this area, and the T sheet’s Descriptive Report (Cotton 1926) attributes at
least two of them to “railroad cut and fill”, suggesting that the railroad grade constructed
well above the shoreline may have contributed or triggered these supposed slides. The
Descriptive Report also describes the cliffs about one-third mile east of the station “Twin
River” as “very evidently cutting away over a stretch of several hundred meters”, and had
28
receded about 12 meters since the most recent previous survey, that being either 1892 or
1908. An examination of recent air photos indicates these cliffs have continued to erode.
The 1926 T sheet Descriptive Report describes a “fringe” of kelp extending from ¼ to ½
mile offshore from Deep Creek to the Lyre River. Kelp beds are shown in the 1926 T
sheet, continuing until just east of the mouth of Whiskey Creek. From there to Crescent
Bay, the only kelp beds shown are off of Crescent Head.
Relative Condition
We consider the relative condition of the Twin Rivers complex as “Moderately Impaired”
based on presumed impacts from Highway 112 bridge crossings on lateral channel
connectivity, and the fill along an accretion beach between the two stream-deltas.
Habitat Complex: Murdock Creek
Physical Description
Murdock Creek is a small steep stream with a very limited delta. Specific historical
information on Murdock Creek is lacking. The October 1, 1864 survey notes indicate the
width at the mouth at 6 links (4 ft.)(Treadway 1864).
Description of Historical Habitat Changes
The only information of note provided by the 1926 T sheet are the presence of stump and
grassland symbols throughout most of the lower watershed, indicating recent logging
activity at the time. A shingle mill occurred along the railroad route in the uplands well
above the right bank of Murdock Creek.
Few direct changes are evident to the Murdock Creek stream mouth today. Sediment
spoils from roads placed along Highway 112 apparently contribute sediment to the stream
(Tim Rymer, cited in Smith 2000), and development to the east of Murdock Creek may
impact hydrology in the small watershed (Smith 2000).
Relative Condition
Without adequate historical or current day information we could not fairly apply a
relative condition rating to the Murdock Creek stream-delta complex.
Habitat Complex: Lyre River
Physical Description
The Lyre River is a relatively steep channel that enters the Strait just west of Low Point.
Little to no significant tidal marsh habitat has probably ever existed at the mouth.
Historical map information specific to the Lyre River estuary lacks detail. The earliest
29
record we could locate is from October 1, 1864 when the width at the mouth of the river
was recorded at 100 links (66 ft.)(Treadway 1864). The channel location and deltaic
sediments appear similar in the 1926 T sheet as they are today.
The 1864 GLO notes refer to a “… large amount of good land in this township,
particularly on the Bank of the River Nile (today the Lyre) and the other small streams
(Treadway 1864). About 600 feet upstream of the river mouth along the left bank, a
potato field is described in the August 1888 GLO notes, and the 15 settlers in the
Township were “principally engaged in raising vegetables” (Sheets 1888).
Description of Historical Habitat Changes
Gettysburg was a community located along the east side of Low Point, and is indicated in
the 1926 T sheet (Figure 16). “Gettysburg Ranch” is shown at the time of the 1950
USGS map (USGS, Disque quadrangle), possibly located along the right bank of Nelson
Creek not far upstream of its confluence with the Lyre River. Impacts to the lower Lyre
River and its delta may have occurred quite early as a result of the proximity of
Gettysburg, logging, and agricultural activities.
The lower reach of the Lyre River has more recently been channelized and armored along
the left bank, large woody debris has been removed, and nearly all riparian forest
vegetation has been removed along both banks near the mouth (Smith 2000). The
shoreline immediately west of the mouth appears bulkheaded for several hundred feet
(Figure 17).
Relative Condition
Due primarily to visible impairment of lower stream channel connectivity with floodplain
and riparian habitat, and bulkheading along the shoreline near the mouth, we consider the
relative condition “Moderately Impaired”.
30
kelp
Figure 16. 1926 T sheet showing the lower Lyre River. Note the grassland symbols
along the lower reach off the left bank, and kelp symbols located off-shore.
Figure 17. 2002 WDOE oblique air photo of the Lyre River habitat complex.
Notice the significant degradation of the riparian corridor along much of the lower
stream reach, and shoreline development to the west of the creek mouth (right side
of the image).
31
Habitat Complex: Field Creek
Physical Description
Historical information on the small Field Creek stream-delta is lacking. The September
30, 1864 GLO notes describe the width at the mouth at 10 links (~ 7 ft.) “along a flat
alder bottom” (Treadway 1864). Early T sheet mapping is too coarse in scale to be of
any value to our assessment.
Description of Historical Habitat Changes
Direct human-related impacts to the mouth of Field Creek are not evident from recent air
photos.
Relative Condition
With little or no evidence of direct changes to this tiny stream-delta, we consider the
relative condition “Functional”.
Habitat Complex: Whiskey Creek
Physical Description
Historical information on the Whiskey Creek stream-delta is poor in detail. The
September 30, 1864 GLO notes recorded the width at its mouth at 10 links (~ 7
ft.)(Treadway 1864).
Description of Historical Habitat Changes
Today a roadbed built on fill, a boat launch, bulkheading, and a jetty occur near the
mouth of Whiskey Creek (Figure 18). Steep high bluffs and several landslides exist both
to the west and east of Whiskey Creek. In fact, much of the stretch between the Lyre
River and Agate Bay appeared as an eroding bluff in the 1926 T sheet as well.
Relative Condition
Based on the level of development and fill at this small creek mouth, we consider the
relative condition “Severely Impaired”.
32
Whiskey
Creek
Figure 18. 2002 WDOE oblique air photo of the Whiskey Creek stream-delta.
Though not identified as a habitat complex in our study, Agate Bay is worth noting as an
accretion beach wedged between bedrock outcrops located just west of Crescent Bay. It
was described in 1926 by coast surveyors as having a steep shingle beach (Cotton 1926).
Today, a number of houses and an artificial pond that may collect stream water occupy
the backshore (Figure 19). This pond is not evident in the 1950 USGS map (USGS,
Joyce quadrangle), but was present by 1977 (WDOE oblique).
33
Figure 19. 1994 WDOE oblique photo of Agate Bay, a small accretion beach located
just west of Crescent Bay and the Salt Creek habitat complex. The waterbody seen
in the backshore is believed to be an artificial feature that was not evident from
either the 1926 T sheet or a 1950 USGS map.
Habitat Complex: Salt Creek
Physical Description
The Salt Creek estuary occurs within Crescent Bay, a relatively large pocket beach
between two outcrops of basalts and marine sedimentary rock (Schasse 2003). A spit is
located at the lower end of the stream pointing east, consistent with net alongshore
sediment drift from the west. Alluvial deposits from Salt Creek occur in the low flats at
the mouth. A salt marsh and tidal channels occur landward of the spit, and the Salt Creek
channel winds sinuously through the salt marsh and exits along the far east end of the spit
(Figure 20). Salt Creek supports one of only a few salt marsh and tidal channel
complexes in the Western and Central Strait sub-regions, surpassed in scale only by the
Pysht River estuary. The Salt Creek estuary was recognized as having a unique and high
quality plant assemblage for the Puget Sound region, and was considered a candidate
estuarine “sanctuary” by the WDNR Natural Heritage Program (Kunze 1984). A
description of plant communities in the Salt Creek estuary is provided by Kunze (1984).
The Klallam people used the Agate and Crescent Bay areas heavily, apparently for the
harvest of a diversity of abundant shellfish and finfish. A number of Klallam historical
sites occur in the Salt Creek watershed, notably a village at Tongue Point, which marks
the eastern edge of Crescent Bay (McHenry and McCoy 2004). Indeed, the Salt Creek
34
area in Crescent Bay today supports some of the highest densities of juvenile salmon, surf
smelt, and sand lance in the Strait of Juan de Fuca (Shaffer et al. 2003 in McHenry and
McCoy 2004).
In 1864 and 1872, the GLO surveyors described the area near Salt Creek in this way:
(The township has a) large amount of good farming land. Situated mostly
on the south boundary and on Salt Creek, at the mouth of which there is a
large Prairie. South of the south boundary between it and the foothills of
the Olympia Range there is a strip of comparatively level land… (with) a
large amount of the finest quality of cedar timber. There are now 3
settlers in the Township. The coastline is very rough, generally
perpendicular rock from 50-100 feet high except at the mouth of Salt
Creek where there is a small bay with sloping sand beach (Treadway
1864).
(This township) contains a large amount of fir timber of excellent quality
available to water. Also a great quantity of spruce of excellent quality
along the southern boundary of the Township. It has few settlers in it with
well improved farms (Jameson 1872).
In 1884, Eldridge Morse described “a dozen families, a logging camp, a school, several
farms, and a ledge of excellent limestone” in Crescent Bay. Within the previous 12
years, 15 million feet of logs had been cut in the Crescent Bay area (Nesbit 1885).
The boundaries of the salt marsh indicated in the 1872 GLO notes along the only
surveyed section line crossing the estuary follows closely with the salt marsh boundaries
we see today near the upstream end of the salt marsh. Similarly, the location of the Salt
Creek channel matches closely to the present day channel location as well. At its mouth,
Salt Creek was described as 80 links (~53 ft.) wide and 2 feet deep in late summer/early
fall (Jameson 1872).
Description of Historical Habitat Changes
Port Crescent was established in the late 1800s to early 1900s, but apparently was
abandoned sometime in the 1920s. The community was based around the logging of
primarily cedar and Douglas fir forests, and extensive clearing of forest for agricultural
purposes was occurring in the early 1900s. During World War II, the military established
Camp Hayden and installed gun emplacements in the uplands just east of the Salt Creek
estuary (McHenry and McCoy 2004). The 1950 USGS map (USGS, Joyce quadrangle)
shows the boundary of the Camp Hayden Military Reservation along the eastern uplands
and extending to the center of Salt Creek channel.
By time of the 1908 T sheet, Port Crescent was well established (Figure 21). Several
buildings are shown along the spit just west of the bridge crossing (approximately where
the Camp Hayden Road bridge is located today). A wharf and additional buildings are
35
shown near the west end of the bay. A narrow gauge logging railroad extended to the end
of the wharf, where steamers would dock. By 1926, the once-present buildings are
missing and the wharf was reduced to broken piles (Figure 22). However, the road
between Port Crescent on the west end of the bay and the mouth of Salt Creek was
evidently built sometime between 1908 and 1926. This road still runs along the foot of
the steep shoreline between the west and east segments of the bay.
By 1926, the uplands immediately to the southeast above the Salt Creek marsh were
described on the T sheet as “Stump Land” with stump symbols shown on the map (Figure
22). The west side of the salt marsh had by 1926 apparently been converted in part to
cultivation. The north-south road/dike that transects the estuary today was evidently
constructed around this time (McHenry and McCoy 2004), though it is unclear whether a
fence line or dike is shown in the 1926 T sheet in the approximate location of the
road/dike that now transects the estuary. This road/dike alters estuarine hydrology and
vegetation patterns in the west side of the estuary. Tidal exchange to the west marsh is
greatly diminished by drainage of water upstream of the road through ditches, and the
presence of two under-sized decaying wooden culverts placed under the road. Though
juvenile fish, including salmon, have been observed “stranded” above this road during the
spring (A. Shaffer, personal communication in McHenry and McCoy 2004), the road/dike
is believed to accommodate very limited fish passage (Shaffer 2006). The modification
in hydrologic connectivity to this part of the historical marsh appears to be converting a
salt marsh into a tidally-influenced scrub-shrub wetland and upland plant community.
Additional major historical changes that are apparent based on our sources include the fill
associated with the Camp Hayden Road and bridge crossing, parking, and at least one
residence and driveway near the mouth of the creek and along the inside of the spit. The
salt marsh nearest the spit appears to have been filled with the construction of Camp
Hayden Road and later for a private campground along the road. Some minor diking
appears to have taken place along the left bank of Salt Creek in the upper reach of salt
marsh, possibly associated with dredging of the creek channel and heaping dredge spoils
on the banks (Kunze 1984). Some changes are evident near the mouth of Salt Creek,
possibly in association with the Camp Hayden Road bridge crossing and fill for a parking
lot. Though the 1908 T sheet shows a single thread channel at this location, by 1926 the
channel is divided by a small islet located just downstream of the bridge crossing. The
1950 USGS map (USGS, Joyce quadrangle) shows the channel in a single thread again
and air photos and maps dating from 1977 to the present indicate that these channels may
now be reduced to one, and that the channel and salt marsh area may be filling in with
sediment over time. The parking lot adjacent to the Camp Hayden Road bridge was in
place at least as recent as 1977 (Figure 20), and it appears that a reduction in channel size
may have been in effect even by that time, though this needs to be examined more
thoroughly. It is unknown how much of this perceived change is related to proximal
causes such as fill associated with the bridge crossing, adjacent parking lot, road, and
house, as compared with an overall reduction in tidal prism possibly associated with the
north-south road/dike, and increases in watershed sediment supply.
36
Figure 20. 1977 WDOE oblique air photo of the Salt Creek estuary. Roadbeds are
the most important modifications to this habitat complex, altering vegetation and
hydrologic connectivity. Note the visible disruption of vegetation patterns
associated with the north-south road/dike through the tidal marsh.
Because early maps (1908 and 1926) lack the detail needed to adequately characterize
certain features of the Salt Creek estuary, and some changes were already in place by this
time, it is somewhat difficult to make an accurate estimate of the amount of salt marsh
present prior to human manipulation. Based on examination of the early T sheets and
modern topographic maps, we estimate about 30 ha of salt marsh and associated tidal
channel habitat was present before Euro-American settlement, nearly identical to another
estimate (~ 29 ha) made by Shaffer et al. (2006). Our current day estimates indicate
19.10 ha of salt marsh and tidal channel habitat, though a considerable portion of this has
been altered by the north-south road/dike. We detect no marked change in the length of
the spit, though filling of the spit and adjacent salt marsh has occurred as a result of the
Camp Hayden Road and a private campground. There is also an indication that some of
37
the fringes of the historical salt marsh may be filling in with upland scrub-shrub and
forest vegetation.
Relative Condition
Based on the measurable loss of tidal marsh, and impairment of overall habitat
connectivity in the Salt Creek marsh and the spit, we consider the relative condition of
the complex “Moderately Impaired”.
Figure 21. 1908 T sheet (at top) and 2003 WDNR air photo (bottom) showing
Crescent Bay and the Salt Creek estuary. Notice in the T sheet the presence of the
Port Crescent community, a “breakwater”, and pier in the west part of Crescent
Bay, and several structures apparently in the tidal marsh near Salt Creek.
38
Figure 22. 1926 T sheet (T4182) showing Crescent Bay and Salt Creek. It is not
clear from this T sheet whether the current day road that splits the salt marsh was
in place at the time, though fence lines appear evident. Note the “stump land” and
stump symbols at the far east of the map, indicating cut-over land. A bridge crossed
the creek mouth in the approximate location of the Camp Hayden Road bridge
today.
39
References
Bubnick, S. C. 1986. Net Shore-Drift Along the Strait of Juan De Fuca Coast of Clallam
County, Washington. M.S. Thesis. Western Washington University, Bellingham. 69
pages + maps.
Cotton, H.A. 1926. Descriptive report, topographic sheet no. 4182, Crescent Bay to
Deep Creek, Strait of Juan de Fuca, Washington. U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey.
Haggerty, M., M. McHenry, and R. McCoy. 2006. Pysht River Floodplain Habitat
Inventory and Assessment. Final Report submitted to: Pacific Salmon Commission.
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. 62 pages + Appendices.
Hall, H. Undated. Early Days at Pysht. Unpublished Report. Merrill and Ring
Company, Port Angeles, Wa.
Jameson, W. 1872. Field notes for the line and meander surveys of Township 31 North,
Ranges 7 and 8 West, Washington Territory. General Land Office Survey, U.S. Dept. of
the Interior, Bur. of Land Mgmt., Portland, Or.
Kunze, L.M. 1984. Puget Trough Coastal Wetlands: A summary report of biologically
significant sites. Washington Natural Heritage Program Contract No. C-83061, Dept. of
Natural Resources for Washington Dept. of Ecology, Olympia, Washington.
McHenry, M. and R. McCoy. 2004. Salt Creek Watershed: An assessment of habitat
conditions, fish populations and opportunities for restoration. Lower Elwha Klallam
Tribe, Port Angeles, Wa. Report to: North Olympic Salmon Coalition, Port Townsend,
Wa. 91 pages + Appendices.
Nesbit, D. M. 1885. Tide marshes of the United States. U. S. Dept. of Agriculture
Miscellaneous Special Report No. 7.
Schasse, H. W. 2003a. Geologic map of the Washington portion of the Cape Flattery
1:100,000 quadrangle: Washington Division of Geology and Earth Resources Open File
Report 2003-5, 1 sheet, scale 1:100,000.
Schasse, H. W. 2003b. (Schuster, J. E., digital geology). Geologic map of the
Washington portion of the Port Angeles 1:100,000 quadrangle: Washington Division of
Geology and Earth Resources Open File Report 2003-6, 1 sheet, scale 1:100,000.
Shaffer, J.A. 2006. Salt Creek Dike Road Culvert Repair. “First Draft”, March 7, 2006.
Washington Dept. of Fish and Wildlife. Port Angeles, Washington. 8 pages.
Shaffer, J.A., J. Paul, P. Crain, M. McHenry, P. Jensen, R. Simonson, M. Hurd, and D.
Parks. 2005. Nearshore restoration strategy for Twin Rivers: a proposal by the Twins
40
Nearshore Restoration Workgroup. July 7, 2005. Washington Dept. of Fish and
Wildlife. Port Angeles, Washington. 9 pages.
Shared Strategy Development Committee. 2005. Draft Puget Sound Salmon Recovery
Plan. December, 2005. Shared Strategy for Puget Sound. Seattle, Washington.
http://www.sharedsalmonstrategy.org/plan/
Sheets, J. 1888. Field notes for the line surveys of Township 31 North, Ranges 8 and 9
West, Washington Territory. General Land Office Survey, U.S. Dept. of the Interior,
Bur. of Land Mgmt., Portland, Or.
Shoecraft, 1877. Field notes for the line and meander surveys of Township 31 North,
Ranges 11 and 12 West, Washington Territory. General Land Office Survey, U.S. Dept.
of the Interior, Bur. of Land Mgmt., Portland, Or.
Smith, C. 2000. Salmonid Habitat Limiting Factors Water Resource Inventory Area 19
(Lyre-Hoko Basin). Washington Conservation Commission. Olympia, Washington. 95
pages.
Treadway, 1864. Field notes for the line and meander surveys of Township 31 North,
Ranges 7, 8, 10, 11 and 12 West, Washington Territory. General Land Office Survey,
U.S. Dept. of the Interior, Bur. of Land Mgmt., Portland, Or.
U.S. Geological Survey. Disque quadrangle, Washington [map]. 1:24,000. 7.5 Minute
Series. Washington, D.C.: USGS, 1950.
U.S. Geological Survey. Joyce quadrangle, Washington [map]. 1:24,000. 7.5 Minute
Series. Washington, D.C.: USGS, 1950.
Washington Department of Ecology, Shorelands and Environmental Assistance Program,
Slope Stability, Digital Coastal Atlas. Original publication 1979, digitized in 2001.
Washington Department of Ecology, Shorelands and Environmental Assistance Program,
2002. Net Shore-Drift in Washington State, Version 2.0.
41